Apparatus for extracting herbs and medicating steam.



' S. GEIGER.

APPARATUS FOR EXTRAGTING HERBS AND MEDIGATING STEAM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14, 1913.

Patented May 12, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 24 S. GEIGER.

APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING HERBS AND MEDICATING STEAM.

APPLICATION .FILED JUNE14, 1913.

LQQfifiQO Patented May 12, 1914.

UNITED PATEN T OFFICE.

STEPHAN GEIGER, 0F SPALT. GERMANY, ASSIGNOR T0 ADAM HEILMANN, 0FNUREMBERG. GERMANY.

APPARATUS FOR EXTRACTING HERBS AND MEDICATING STEAM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 14. 1913.

Patented May 12, 1914.

Serial No. 773,664.

'1 '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, STEPHAN GEIGER, asubject of the .King of Bavaria, German Empire, residing at Spalt,Bavaria, Germany, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatusfor Extracting Herbs and Medicating Steam; and I do declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved steam generatorfor supplying medicinal steam to steam baths, wherein the steam iscaused to pass through medicinal herbs or the like arranged betweenforaminous plates.

Two forms of this invention are shown by way of examples in theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section of the first modification of the improvedboiler, and Fig. 2 shows the application of this invention to a sweatingbath. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of another form of the improvedboiler, and Fig.4 is a similar section of a modification thereof. Fig. 5is a horizontal section on the line AB of Fig. 1.

lVith reference to Figs. 1 and 2: .1 is a closed boiler provided with asafety valve and a water gage. Its cover 2 is adapted to be fastened bymeans of a device 3. In the lower bottom of the boiler there is providedthe inlet 4 for the steam from the steam boiler 5, suflicient spacebeing left for the steam in the boiler to allow the steam to becomedistributed over the cross sectional area of the cylindrical boiler. Thesteam then passes through the foraminous plate 6 into contact with theherbs 7. Thereupon the steam with the principles extracted from theherbs passes through the foraminous plate 8 which is provided for thepurpose of preventing the herbs from boiling over and the exit 9 for thesteam from becoming stopped up. The foraminous plate 8 is held by springclips 12 which serve also as stops for the boiler cover when closed andas handles fOr lifting out the strainer from the boiler. The steam afterpassing through the foraminous late 8 passes out through the outlet 9and t e pipes 10, into the sweating box 11 or the like for use.

Relating to the modifications of the invention represented by Figs. 3 to5: As

shown, the herbs (4 are placed in the usual manner between a fixedforaminous plate bottom 7) and a foraminous' plate cover a, and steam isadmitted in the usual manner from underneath through the steam pipe d.This steam after taking up the medicinal principles of the herbs passesthrough a pipe 7' into the steam bath. According to this invention thereis provided under the collect ing chamber for the dripping herb juices,a bottom chamber 7a which is adapted to b connected with the herbchamber h or with the chamber 17 situated above the same. The chamber isis connected with the collecting chamber 9 for the purpose of receivingthe herb juices, and when the juices are to be. discharged. it is closedby means of a slide Z or the like against the chamber and can then besupplied with steam through a branch pipe 11 that can be shut off bymeans of a cock m. while the direct supply of steam to the herbs iswholly or partly shut off by means of a cock 0. A gage glass 2) isprovided for the purpose of enabling the'height of the juices in thecollecting chamber {1 to be observed. In the modification shown in F ig.3 a single pipe 11 connects the bottom chamber 1. with the upper part ofthe generator. The strainer cover 0 in this arrangement is supported bymeans of arms 8 which are ada )ted to bear resiliently against the sides0' ot the generator and are bent outward for this purpose. These arms 8extend preferably steam tight through the generator cover if to theoutside thereof, where they are provided with handles or other means ofadjustment, which will allow of adjusting the strainercovcr in thevertical direction from the outside. In this construction the operationof the generator is as follows z-When a sufficient amount of herb juicehas collected in the chamber 9 which can be ascertained by inspection ofthe gage glass, the slide Z is opened and the cock 0 is shut wholly orpartially, so as to allow the juice to flow into the bottom chamber 7:.The slide Z is then closed again and by opening a cock at, steam isadmitted into the bottom chamber is which presses the juice through thepipe 9 into the upper part of the generator. According as to whether thejuice is suh'iciently concentrated or not, which depends on the natureof the medicinal herbs or the like employed, the strainer cover a islowered to a greater or less extent, so that the juice can return eitherdirectly back into the herbs or is injected into the upper generatorchamber 11 whence it passes together with the discharging steam directlyinto the steam bath. In the latter case the cock 0 is only partiallyclosed during the carrying over of the juice.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4, the foraminous plate cover 0 neednot be adjustable vertically from the outside for the purpose ofconveying the juice either directly int-o the herbs or into the uppersteam chamber, because in this construction the uice pipe 9 has twobranches 1'0, 50, which can be shut off by means of cocks u, 4). Thesebranches w and a: are carried at suitable heights through the sides ofthe generator.

l/Vhen the bottom chamber is is filled and is charged with steam, thenaccording as the cock u or the cock c2 is opened, the juice will passdirectly into the herbs or into the chamber 2'.

The improved boiler enables the herbs to be exhausted to the utmostlimit and this enables a better medicinal action to be obtained as alsoa considerable saving in ex pense.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. A steamgenerator for medical vapor baths, comprising a boiler, a stationary anda movable superposed foraminous plate within said boiler constituting achamber for the medicinal constituents of the bath, means secured to theupper movable plate for resiliently clamping the same against the wallof the boiler in any desired height above the bottom thereof, meanssecured to said clamping means extending steam tight through the boilerwalls for allowing an adjustment of said plate in vertical directionfrom the outside, and means for leading the steam and the vapors of saidmedicinal constituents to a vapor bath.

2: A steam generator for medical vapor baths, comprising a boiler,provided with a. steam inlet, a safety valve and a gage, a stationaryand a movable superposed foraminous plate within said boilerconstituting a chamber for the medicinal constituents of the bath,spring arms secured to the upper movable plate for resiliently clampingthe same against the walls of the boiler in any desired height above thebottom thereof,

handles secured to said clamping arms extending steam tight through theboiler Walls for allowing an adjustment of said plate in verticaldirection from the outside, a cover for said boiler, and a pipeconnection for leading the steam and the vapor of said medicinalconstituents to a vapor bath.

3. A steamgenerato-r for medical vapor baths, comprising a boiler, astationary and a movable superposed 'foraminous plate within said boilerconstituting a chamber for the medicinal constituents of the bath,'a'partition between said stationary foraminous plate and the bottom ofsaid boiler provided with an opening, a slide for closing said opening,means for supplying steam to said chamber and to the space underneatlfsaid partition wall, and means for supplying the medicated vapors to abath.

4. A steam generator for medical vapor baths comprising a boiler, a'stationary and a movable superposed foraminous plate within said boilerconstituting a chamber for the medicinal constituents of the bath, apartition between said stationary foraminous plate and the bottom ofsaid boilerprovided with an opening, a slide for closing said opening, acommon valve controlled pipe connection 'for supplying steam to saidchamber and to the space underneath said partition wall, Valvecontrolled means for allowing'a circulation of the medicated vaporsbetween said space and a generator chamber above the movable foraminousplate, and valve-controlled means for leading the steam and themedicated vapors ,to a bath.

' In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

STEPHAN GEIGER. l'Vitnesses:

MAX SCHNEIDER, EUGEN MAIER.

Gopiea of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of mama, Washington, D. C.

